ginasbookreport

The Socialite’s Guide to Murder (A Pinnacle Hotel Mystery) by S.K. Golden Publisher:  Crooked Lane Books an imprint of The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC Ginasbookreport Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre:  Cozy Mystery Read This If You Love: Nancy Drew, Miss Marple, Only Murders in the Building The Socialite’s Guide to Murder  is the first in a new mystery series centered at the Pinnacle Hotel. Set in 1958, the book and the hotel are packed full of glamor and glitz. Evelyn Elizabeth Grace Murphy is the hotel owner’s daughter, and she suffers from agoraphobia. However, she has the run of the hotel and loves to solve a good mystery. She’s good at finding lost things and solving little mysteries around the hotel. This comes in handy when she finds a dead body in the hallway! Evelyn and her closest confidants are on the case, along with Preseley the dog, of course.  From the jacket cover design and the interior font to the colorful over-the-top characters, everything works well together to create a

Do you enjoy reading books with a buddy and then discussing it? I do! My husband is an avid reader of sci-fi and fantasy novels and I’ve become obsessed with them, too. It’s not uncommon for us to go out to dinner and tell one another about the book we are currently reading. During one of these meals, we decided to pick a list of sci-fi and fantasy books and read them together in 2023 so we could discuss them in depth. We had all but one of the books already on our shelves so it’s a bonus that it decreases that TBR pile.  Here are the nine books and the descriptions from their Goodreads marketing copy… House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski: A young family moves into a small town on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong; their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of that impossibility, until the day the

Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson Publisher:  Ecco an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ginasbookreport Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Literature Read This If You Love: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Normal People We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us. Frankie is living her teenage life in the small town of Coalfield, Tennessee when Zeke moves to town. The two become entwined in each other’s worlds. As they are striving to discover who they are, they set off a chain of events that leads to the Coalfield Panic of 1996. Decades later, the truth arrives on Frankie’s doorstep. Is she ready to tell what really happened in the summer of 1996? Now Is Not the Time to Panic  is a master class in writing and storytelling. Sometimes you start a book and just immediately know it will always stick out in your memory. (Out of all the new releases in 2022, I would list Sea of Tranquility and Now Is Not the Time to Panic  as top-tier must reads.) Now Is Not t

If you are an avid book reader, chances are that you track the books that you read. Whether that be via Goodreads, another platform, or old-fashioned pen and paper, you also might set a number goal per year. When I first started tracking my reads on a more regular basis, it was the first year that I decided to do an official reading challenge. It was a list I grabbed from Pinterest with things like “Read a book set in your home state” or “Re-read a book from your childhood.” I hadn’t noticed that there were 52 book prompts and when I did, a book a week was intimidating with my work schedule. After completing it (and actually reading more than 52 that year), I went for a higher number the next year and continued to up the total each subsequent year. For 2022, my goal was 100 and I was all good, actually ahead of schedule, until the summer months. When most people have additional reading time in the summer, mine decreases because of travel and other activities. We were lucky enough to ta

The Favor by Nora Murphy Publisher:  Minotaur Books an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group Ginasbookreport Rating:  ⭐️⭐️ Genre:  Mysteries/Thrillers Read This If You Love: Slow subtle build His crazy wife. No one would believe anything I said.  I’m a firm believer that there is a reader for every book. So even if I didn’t find that a book is for me, I will still give it a fair review of what the book is about because it might be just right for other readers and I have respect for all authors. All that said, I didn’t love this book. The quote on the front by Shari Lapena got me to pick up The Favor  and I didn’t even read the synopsis. I went in anticipating that it was going to be a more action and clue-centric mystery. Instead, it is a slow build of domestic drama turned murder.  Publisher Synopsis:      Leaving would be dangerous. Staying could be worse.      Leah and McKenna have never met, though they have parallel lives.      They don’t ― ever ― find themselves in the same tr

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng Publisher: Ginasbookreport Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre:  Literature / Dystopian Read This If You Love:  Margaret Atwood A stunning look at what fear, hate, and ignorance can create. In this dystopian novel by the talented Celeste Ng, America is in a state of despair after economic unrest led to an outlawing of civil protest and no tolerance for anything seen as unpatriotic. The rule of the land is now PACT, standing for Preserving American Culture and Traditions. Growing ever more restrictive, American society and governance lays all their problems at the feet of the Chinese, and rhetoric and hate spews to Asian Americans. Children of dissidents are removed from their homes and placed into other families. Bird still lives with his father, but is forced to go by a new “American” approved name, and he mustn’t discuss his mother. However, he loves her and misses her and seeks to uncover the truth behind where she went and who she is. Little does he know that M

We all have authors who we love to read and some of them become automatic buys. Most of my auto-reads fall into the murder mystery or locked-room mystery space, but several of them are in the psychological thriller/domestic drama space. Darby Kane is one of those authors whose books I consume as soon as possible. Kane’s latest book, The Last Invitation , comes out today (12.6.22) and I can’t wait to snag a copy.  Here’s the publisher’s synopsis:  Darby Kane, the author of the critically acclaimed and #1 International Bestseller  Pretty Little Wife,  has crafted another gripping and twisty suspense about an invitation to an exclusive club that comes with deadly consequences. They meet the second Tuesday of every month and vote…and then someone dies. Over the last few years, prominent people—a retired diplomat, beloved basketball coach, the CEO of an empire—have died in a series of fluke accidents and shocking suicides. There’s no apparent connection, no signs of foul play. Behind it all

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Naomi Alderman, Leigh Bardugo, Alyssa Cole, Lucy Foley, Elly Griffith, Natalie Haynes, Jean Kwok, Val McDermid, Karen M. McManus, Dreda Say Mitchell, Kate Mosse, and Ruth Ware with characters written and developed by Agatha Christie Publisher:  William Morrow Ginasbookreport Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre:  Mysteries/Thrillers Read This If You Love:  Classic cozy mysteries  Some people knew things, and Miss Marple, she knew murder. —Alyssa Cole’s Miss Marple Takes Manhattan If you or someone you know is a huge Agatha Christie fan, Marple: Twelve New Mysteries  is soooooooo good! Typically, I’m not a fan of continuing an author’s work past their lives (save wrapping up their final unfinished pieces). So I was a bit dubious when I saw this project announced. Then I saw the list of authors involved and knew it was in good hands. (I have previously read work by 9 of the 12.) Each short story is between 20-35 pages and make for great bite-sized pieces so you can r

The Blame Game by Sandie Jones Publisher:  Minotaur Books an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group Ginasbookreport Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.75 stars rounded up) Genre: Mystery/Thrillers Read This If You Love:  Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney She wants to be everything to everyone, but making yourself indispensable is dangerous. — The Blame Game The Blame Game is a fast and light mystery read. At under 250 pages, this is a great little novel if you want something to boost your numbers and be a light “popcorn” type of book. (Side note: When I was in high school band, we were taught the concept of a “popcorn” band. In other words, the band that’s okay and entertaining, but if you need to miss something to buy your popcorn, you won’t miss much. I’ve found that some books I read are “popcorn” books…it’s entertaining and easy-to-read if you want low to no commitment. They aren’t a MUST read, but they have a space because sometimes you just need some fluffy reads! I don’t see them as a negativ

As the holidays are approaching, thoughts of how to make the season magical start to take hold. There is little I like more than reading a book next to a beautiful Christmas tree with sparkling white lights. (Well, okay, I do love reading next to a pool or on a beach a bit more, but I digress!) We don’t have children, but both have the heart and eyes of a child during December and this led to a tradition of gifting each other an advent that we open together every day. This year’s advent consists of BOOKS! I thought I’d share how we went about building an adult book advent. Building the List If you are planning to build a book advent, it’s likely for someone who loves to read and that means they probably has a few shelves of books. What about the long list of novels they have already read? How do you figure out what books to include that will be fresh, of interest, and don’t break the bank. Our solution: Pinterest …create a Secret Board shared with only the participants. Each person th

A Spindle Splintered (Fractured Fable series) by Alix E. Harrow Publisher:  Tordotcom Ginasbookreport Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Fantasy Read This If You Love: Wicked  or The Ten Thousand Doors of January My own will might matter. — Zinnia Gray Zinnia Gray is terminally ill from an industrial accident. Her rare condition has never been survived past the age of 21. Charm, Zinnia’s best friend, throws her a fairy tale-themed birthday bash. Suddenly, Zinnia is transported into Perceforest, which is a far cry from Ohio. Perceforest is a realm in which she must do more than try not to die, but actually strive to live.  At its core, A Spindle Splintered , is a fairy-tale re-imagining of the classic Sleeping Beauty . However, this short novel is so much more than the classic damsel in distress with no autonomy of her own. This is a modern feminist fairy tale where curses are actually cussing and women get a voice. This series from Harrow is what happens when women get to write their own story. 

All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien Publisher:  William & Morrow Company Ginasbookreport Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Literature / Mystery Read This If You Love: A Woman Is No Man Just let him go. — Ky Tran When Ky’s brother Denny is killed, she feels responsible and sets out to discover what really happened. Through the investigation we are transported into the world of Vietnamese-Australians and the complexities of trying to maintain one’s heritage and belong in a world that isn’t always welcoming. Ky explores the bonds between friendship, family, and society. It’s a heart-wrenching look at addiction, abuse, and racial discrimination.  I found this book to be an enlightening and educational read and consumed All That’s Left Unsaid  as an audiobook. All of the performers were really great, but I personally connected to the chapters told through a child’s voice and perspective. It was so informative, humorous, and touching. Lien nailed the honesty and forthrightness of a child. Throu

It’s Tuesday and that means more new books are hitting the shelves! I am sooo excited for one book in particular… Available 11.15.23 Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember by Lauren Graham Publisher: Ballantine Books Genre: Humor/Memoir Synopsis from the Publisher:  Lauren Graham has graced countless television screens with her quick-witted characters and hilarious talk show appearances, earning a reputation as a pop culture icon who always has something to say. In her latest book,  Have I Told You This Already?,  Graham combines her signature sense of humor with down-to-earth storytelling. Graham shares personal stories about her life and career—from her early days spent pounding the pavement while waitressing in New York City, to living on her aunt’s couch during her first Los Angeles pilot season, to thoughts on aging gracefully in Hollywood. In “R.I.P. Barneys New York” Graham writes about an early job as a salesperson at the legendary department

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow Publisher:  Orbit Books Ginasbookreport Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre:  Fantasy Read This If You Love: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Every story opens a door. It’s a rare 5 ⭐️ book!!! Why isn’t this book on ALL the best lists? It should be. Let’s start with the production quality of this book. The cover is beautifully designed and really connects to the feeling of the content. Generally I’m a read-a-book-in-whatever-format-you-prefer-type of reader. However, I loved the feel of this paperback. The selection of the paper is such a nice stock and helps to put the reader into the book within this book. The entire package really is a piece of art. From the author photo and paper edge treatment, the production quality is top notch. (As a former Production Director, I really appreciate the care and expense of those decisions.) The story…the writing…all of it! Amazingly breathtaking. This book fits into every genre…horror, fantasy, mystery,

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger Publisher:  Park Row Books Ginasbookreport Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre:  Family Drama / Thriller Read This If You Love:  Crime Documentaries In this new suspense novel by the talented Lisa Unger, everyone seems to have something to hide. It was like a mash up of true crime documentary stories collided and formed a suspense novel. Gripping! When Hannah gathers with her parents, brother, and sister-in-law for Christmas, someone sneaks one last gift under the tree…DNA test kits. Cut to family retreat six months later and all hell breaks loose. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six is a stormy thunderbolt of action wrapped up in plots you would find in a true crime documentary. I was hooked on this book and would have read it in one night if I hadn’t been so tired from the day. Books often rush through an ending that feels unsatisfying, but not this one. I was fully invested until the last paragraph. This is the right book for you if you like a complex family dynam